Director of Student Financial Services

Director of Student Financial Services

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references, including contact information, online. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Position Information

Job Title - Director of Student Financial Services

Position Number - 500682

Vacancy Open To - All Candidates

Department - AFH Cashier

Advertising Department - CASHIER'S OFFICE

Division - Administration & Finance

Classification Title - Accounting Manager III

Working Title - Director of Student Financial Services

Number of Vacancies - 1

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) - 1.0

Full Time or Part Time - Full Time

Anticipated Recruitment Range. Salary offered may be outside of this range as impacted by budget, UNC salary administration, and/or candidate qualifications. - $95,000 - $110,616

Position Location (City) - Greenville

Position Type - Non-Faculty

Job Category - Non-Faculty Professional

Be a Pirate! East Carolina University (ECU) is consistently ranked among the nation's top public universities for its commitment to research, innovation, social mobility, and public service. Classified as a R1 institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, ECU is among the top 5% of research universities in the United States, an elite designation reflecting the highest levels of research activity, funding, and doctoral output. Founded in 1907, ECU is a public, four-year university located in Greenville, N.C., which is widely regarded as the cultural, educational, economic, and medical hub of eastern North Carolina. Through education, research, healthcare, community engagement, athletics, cultural enrichment, and service, ECU enhances the quality of life for its students, the state and communities around the world. It is a great place to work, teach, and learn. ECU's commitment to impactful scholarship is further demonstrated through its repeated Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (2010, 2015, 2024), as well as its 2024 designation as a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose institution. These distinctions recognize the university's leadership in translating research into meaningful community partnerships and measurable societal benefits. The university supports its workforce through a wide range of professional development opportunities designed to foster career growth and skill advancement. Eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive benefits package that promotes a healthy work-life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit - The Division of Administration and Finance is ultimately responsible for all financial and administrative activities of East Carolina University and its affiliated Foundations. The Division consists of Financial Services, Campus Operations, Information Technology and Computing Services, People Operations, Success and Opportunity, Environmental Health and Campus Safety, Auxiliary Services and various support activities related to the ECU affiliated Foundations. The Division is led by the Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance. The Vice Chancellor is responsible for oversight of the policies, personnel, budgets, and administrative activities of all operations at East Carolina University and its affiliated Foundations. This division is a service provider in support of academic, research, and outreach missions of the University. Within the Division, Financial Services is responsible for financial activities of East Carolina University and its affiliated Foundations. The mission of Financial Services is: To provide for the financial needs of the University and its Foundations in a customer-oriented, friendly environment while assuring the proper stewardship of all fiscal resources. Within the Financial Services Unit, Student Financial Services has three work units: the University Cashier's Office, ECU Collections, and the Student Accounting Office. The Cashier's Office is responsible for receipting deposits, processing payments in person, by lockbox, and on-line for all student obligations (tuition, fees, housing, dining, student health and other charges). The Cashier's Office is also responsible for processing delinquent payments for past due accounts and non-enrolled students. ECU Collections is responsible for leading the collection process on past due accounts (excluding medical and dental patient billings) and institutional loans. Student Accounting is responsible for billing students & third party vendors, making adjustments to student accounts, and completing third-party balance sheet reconciliations, refund & escheat balance sheet account reconciliations, and financial aid reconciliations. All offices require strong internal controls and must adhere to IRS, State of NC and University policies and procedures. These transactions are continually subject to audit by Internal Audit, State auditors, Foundation auditors, and IRS auditors.

Primary Purpose of Position - The Director of Student Financial Services reports directly to the University Controller and is responsible for all aspects of student accounting, collections, and cash receipt related operations, including; processes, internal controls, accounting, and tax compliance. This position is responsible for formulating and implementing relevant financial policies, and supports University leadership by providing the information and feedback necessary for informed decision-making. The position sets the overall direction for the student finance related processes of the University, ensuring that all financial operations, systems, transactions, policies, and procedures meet the objectives of the University and that they follow all oversight and regulatory entity standards & requirements. Additionally, evaluating the current services and adjusting operations as needed to meet the changing needs of our students is a major emphasis of this role. The role of Director of Student Financial Services is critical to the University's goal to provide excellent service to its students. This position approaches every situation professionally and ethically. This position provides outstanding customer service to students and parents; resolving escalated customer complaints, while at the same time learning from those experiences and focusing on developing and implementing new policies, procedures, and tools to improve customer service to the University's current students and prospective students. The Director often serves as a key point of contact for customers attempting to resolve issues that may be registration, financial aid, academic, or purely financial in nature; thus, this position maintains a thorough understanding of all processes impacting student accounts directly and indirectly. The Director also works closely with various administrative and academic units across the campus community to coordinate office operations, develop and refine policies, and operationalize the process improvements necessary to accomplish the goals of the University. Additionally, the reporting and reconciliation needs of Student Financial Services, as well as information requests from University leadership, often require working extensively with Information Technology and Computing Services (ITCS) staff to facilitate the system programming necessary to extract the information needed; therefore, cultivating and maintaining productive working relationships across the campus community is imperative for this position. This position utilizes extensive knowledge of the various policies and regulations of the IRS, State of NC, University, and University-related foundations. The Director works closely with various campus units on student-related IRS regulations to ensure compliance, while still meeting customer service expectations. This position is also responsible for the preparation and oversight of accounts receivable reconciliations, balance sheet reconciliations and monthly cash reconciliations for various loan funds, as well as assisting with the preparation various loan and financial aid related reports throughout the year.

Minimum Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience - Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, finance or other discipline related to the area of assignment with 12 credit hours of accounting coursework and three years of professional accounting experience, of which at least one is supervisory; or equivalent combination of training and experience. Some positions may require additional credit hours of accounting coursework. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation - None.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience - A demonstrated history of experience with the cashier, collections, and/or student accounting related functions of a college or university is highly preferred, with leadership roles in these areas considered a plus. Preference will also be given to those with substantial experience working with both advanced finance/ERP systems and advanced student information systems. Additionally, experience with integrated third-party billing and payment collection systems is considered favorable.

Special Instructions to Applicant - East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. Candidates must also submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references, including contact information, online. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Additional Instructions to Applicant - In order to be considered for this position, applicants must complete a candidate profile online via the PeopleAdmin system and submit any requested documents. Additionally, applicants that possess the preferred education and experience must also possess the minimum education/experience, if applicable. Unless otherwise identified in the applicable job posting and consistent with University policy, the University will principally employ individuals who reside in the State of North Carolina to the greatest extent practicable. As such, most positions at East Carolina University require employees to live and work in North Carolina (or live within a reasonable daily commuting distance from their duty station) after hire. Candidates should be prepared to relocate within a reasonable, agreed-upon time after an offer of employment has been made and accepted to meet this requirement.

Job Open Date - 06/12/2026

Open Until Filled - Yes

Job Close Date - Positions will be posted until 1